.jpg)
Hundreds of residents in and around the Parika/Hubu neighbourhood, East Bank Essequibo benefitted on Sunday from free medical care.This humanitarian initiative was brought to them through a partnership conceptualised and coordinated by the Silent Temple Lodge of Georgetown with support of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and other entities. With President of the Silent Temple, Mr. Brian Hackett at the helm, other key organisers included Mr. Tillam Karimullah, Finance Officer of the GPHC; Mr. Michael Mayers and Mr. Kurtis Adams of Parika.
Executed by a 50-strong medical team, the outreach, described as the biggest ever in Region 3 (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), was held at the Blake Nursery School, Parika.
It was a tremendous success and was enthusiastically received by the residents who were high in praise for the humanitarian initiative.
The outreach, in which the Georgetown Public Hospital played a major role, also had the support of the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC); the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre; the Muslim community of Parika and other private individuals who gave in cash and kind, as well as the Region 3 Department of Education and the administration of Blake Primary School.
Despite the heavy downpour, residents braved the inclement weather and came out in their numbers to zero in on the wide range of medical services presented to them free of charge, and in their very own community. Transportation to and from the outreach centre was made easy, with shuttle buses provided by the organisers.
The wide range of specialty areas in which service was offered include: Neurology, Ophthalmology; Optometry; Obstetrics & Gynecology; Cancer screening using the Visual Inspection Acid (VIA); Gynecology, Psychiatry, Physiology, Orthopedic, Pediatrics; Dentistry (Cleaning and extractions); Internal Medicine (including Diabetes and Hypertension); Dermatology and Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat.
The medical team comprised more than 25 doctors, 13 nurses, specialist technicians along with several pharmacists and other medical support staff.
According to Mr. Karimullah, about 90% of the doctors on the team were drawn from the Georgetown Public Hospital. There were a few other medical personnel, including pharmacists and others, from private organisations.
Among the medical team were: Eleven doctors from Cuba, four from China, two from India (Urologist Dr. Purohit and his wife, Dr. Asha Purohit who is a Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology; four specialists from Cuba; one American – Dr. Kenneth Gross who is a Specialist Neurologist; two Guyanese – Dr. Bhoj, Head of the Diabetic Foot Clinic and Dr. Camila Bemaul, a Specialist in Internal Medicine. There were also other specialists in Internal Medicine; Ear, Nose and Throat; Radiology, Ophthalmology, an Optician; Acupuncture; Orthopedics and General Surgery; and Dental Surgery provided by Dr. Aguilar of the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre and staff.
Meanwhile, Mr. Karimullah, at the end of the day’s activity said that there were persons who tested positive for cancer and who will have to be referred to the GPHC/Cancer Society for follow up intervention.
“There were also other referrals to the GPHC for further intervention and filling of prescriptions for medication not available here, as well as X-Rays or CT scans and/or Lab tests,” Karimullah said.
On the other hand, he said, if there are conditions the doctors were not able to treat immediately, the patients will be given a certificate of referral to the Georgetown Public Hospital where treatment can be administered.
Meanwhile, evidently delighted at the response, Mr. Hackett who heads the Silent Temple Lodge, recalled it was about the biggest humanitarian activity ever to have been organised by the fraternity.
“Today’s activity is really the first medical outreach that the Silent Temple Lodge has embarked upon. We are delighted to serve this area, and I am delighted to see so many persons coming out and accessing the medical treatment service we are providing here today.” He is hopeful that similar activities can be mounted in other parts of the country.
He expressed gratitude to the people for coming out and helping to organise the school and putting other systems in place to enable the doctors to perform their medical examinations effectively and with the required privacy.
He also thanked the GPC for concessions received from them, donations from people in the communities and also for the preparation of meals for the doctors and their medical team.
Executed by a 50-strong medical team, the outreach, described as the biggest ever in Region 3 (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), was held at the Blake Nursery School, Parika.
It was a tremendous success and was enthusiastically received by the residents who were high in praise for the humanitarian initiative.
The outreach, in which the Georgetown Public Hospital played a major role, also had the support of the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC); the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre; the Muslim community of Parika and other private individuals who gave in cash and kind, as well as the Region 3 Department of Education and the administration of Blake Primary School.
Despite the heavy downpour, residents braved the inclement weather and came out in their numbers to zero in on the wide range of medical services presented to them free of charge, and in their very own community. Transportation to and from the outreach centre was made easy, with shuttle buses provided by the organisers.
The wide range of specialty areas in which service was offered include: Neurology, Ophthalmology; Optometry; Obstetrics & Gynecology; Cancer screening using the Visual Inspection Acid (VIA); Gynecology, Psychiatry, Physiology, Orthopedic, Pediatrics; Dentistry (Cleaning and extractions); Internal Medicine (including Diabetes and Hypertension); Dermatology and Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat.
The medical team comprised more than 25 doctors, 13 nurses, specialist technicians along with several pharmacists and other medical support staff.
According to Mr. Karimullah, about 90% of the doctors on the team were drawn from the Georgetown Public Hospital. There were a few other medical personnel, including pharmacists and others, from private organisations.
Among the medical team were: Eleven doctors from Cuba, four from China, two from India (Urologist Dr. Purohit and his wife, Dr. Asha Purohit who is a Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology; four specialists from Cuba; one American – Dr. Kenneth Gross who is a Specialist Neurologist; two Guyanese – Dr. Bhoj, Head of the Diabetic Foot Clinic and Dr. Camila Bemaul, a Specialist in Internal Medicine. There were also other specialists in Internal Medicine; Ear, Nose and Throat; Radiology, Ophthalmology, an Optician; Acupuncture; Orthopedics and General Surgery; and Dental Surgery provided by Dr. Aguilar of the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre and staff.
Meanwhile, Mr. Karimullah, at the end of the day’s activity said that there were persons who tested positive for cancer and who will have to be referred to the GPHC/Cancer Society for follow up intervention.
“There were also other referrals to the GPHC for further intervention and filling of prescriptions for medication not available here, as well as X-Rays or CT scans and/or Lab tests,” Karimullah said.
On the other hand, he said, if there are conditions the doctors were not able to treat immediately, the patients will be given a certificate of referral to the Georgetown Public Hospital where treatment can be administered.
Meanwhile, evidently delighted at the response, Mr. Hackett who heads the Silent Temple Lodge, recalled it was about the biggest humanitarian activity ever to have been organised by the fraternity.
“Today’s activity is really the first medical outreach that the Silent Temple Lodge has embarked upon. We are delighted to serve this area, and I am delighted to see so many persons coming out and accessing the medical treatment service we are providing here today.” He is hopeful that similar activities can be mounted in other parts of the country.
He expressed gratitude to the people for coming out and helping to organise the school and putting other systems in place to enable the doctors to perform their medical examinations effectively and with the required privacy.
He also thanked the GPC for concessions received from them, donations from people in the communities and also for the preparation of meals for the doctors and their medical team.
